Insertable tool for smoothing garment pockets



Nov. 22, 1949 SILVA INSERTIBLE TOOL FOR smoo'mme GARMENT-POCKETS Filed March 31, 1949 QM, @d/k/Ji. M 5

Patented Nov. 22, 1949 uuirso sTAr s I m OFFICE,

Application March 31, 1949,. Serial No. 84,532

This invention relates to a tool for insertion into the pocket or pockets of a garment inciden talto the cleaning or laundering thereof, for the purpose of smoothing. out the pocket or pockets.

While not limited to such use, it is particularly intended for the smoothing out or reshaping of the pockets of mens garments, such as coats", vests, sweaters and. shirts- It is. also adapted to be similarly used for smoothing the pockets of aprons or other articles of womens or mens Wear.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive tool for this purpose that is self-adjusting to pockets: of different widths and, being. of. general: V-shape, may be grasped in one hand, and the two arms or members of the tool may, by a relatively slight squeeze of the hand, be brought sufiiciently close together for ready insertion in a pocket of any size. Thereupon, after the members are permitted to spread, they may be moved back and forth longitudinally in the pocket until the pocket has been smoothed out into its original condition.

In order that the invention may be readily understood, I have disclosed a single embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawing, wherein- Fig. 1 is a plan view of the pocket smoothing tool;

Fig. 2 is an edge view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a view representing a pocket of a coat or other garment, disarranged in the cleaning or laundering thereof, and into which the tool of Figs. 1 and 2 is to be inserted and manipulated; and

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the same pocket smoothed out by the use of the tool of Figs. 1 and 2, and representing the said tool in functioning position in said pocket.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, and particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the tool is of general v-shape and includes two elongated members or arms I, 2 of steel, aluminum or other suitable metal formed in one piece presenting a coiled apex portion 3 that consists of one, two or, if desired, more coils acting normally to spread the two members i and 2 apart substantially as indicated in Fig. 1. Fitted upon said members I and 2 near the coil or coils 3, I preferably fit handles 4, 5 of any suitable material, Which handles, if desired, may be unitary with the members I and 2. Also, preferably structurally distinct from said members I and 2, but suitably fitted or secured thereon are two metal sheaths or extensions 6, I, so secured in place upon the ends of the members I and 2 as to be 3 Claims. (Cl. 223-431) rigid therewith. Each such sheath or extension forms an encircling wall which, at the forward. endof the tool presents two slightly spaced edge portions la, Eb, in which upon a suitable pin 8 is loosely mounted a relatively thin disk 9" of brass or other suitable material and the edge whereof is desirably knurled as indicated at lfl'. Such edge is of non-cutting character.

To use the tool, as, for example, to smooth out or reshape a pocket of a coat or other garment that is in the process of being cleaned or laundered, the tool is grasped in one hand, the palm and fingers encircling the handles s, 5, and a squeezing movement of the hand brings said; handles 3, 5' together, so that the members I, 2 are substantially in parallelism. The outer or left-hand end of the tool, viewing Fig. 1, is then inserted into the pocket, such as that indicated at H in Fig. 3, and the tool is moved longitudinally down into the pocket with the disks 9 in engagement with the inner edges or seams of the pocket, thereby smoothing or reshaping the same. It will be noted that in use the disks 9, 9, are in a plane parallel with the two walls of the pocket and between them.

In Fig. 4, the tool is represented (partly in dotted lines) as inserted in and having performed its work in smoothing out the pocket, therein indicated at Ho. 7

Having thus described one embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense, and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. An insertible garment pocket tool for smoothing the pocket incidental to the cleaning or laundering of the garment, said tool being of elongated V-shape, self-adjusting to pockets of different widths, and consisting of two substantially parallel, elongated, thin members united at one end by a spring construction tending to spread said members apart at the opposite or free ends thereof, said two elongated members each having a handle portion between the ends thereof and in proximity to each other, to permit the tool to be grasped by the hand of the user, and said members to be squeezed together sufficiently for insertion into the pocket to engage the inner edges of the pocket with sufficient spring pressure to smooth out and shape the pocket by lengthwise hand manipulation of the tool in the pocket, the free ends of the said parallel members being each provided with a freely rotatable disk, which disks, when the tool is inserted into the pocket, are in a plane parallel to the two walls of the pocket and engage the inner edges of the pocket with a rolling, yielding contact.

2. An insertible garment pocket tool for smoothing the pocket incidental to the cleaning or laundering of the garment, said tool being of elongated V-shape, self-adjusting to pockets of different widths, and consisting of two substantially parallel, elongated, thin members united at one end by a spring construction tending to spread said members apart at the opposite or free ends thereof, said two elongated members each having a handle portion between the ends thereof and in proximity to each other, to permit the tool to be grasped by the hand of the user, and said members to be squeezed together sufliciently for insertion into the pocket to engage the inner edges of the pocket with sufiicient spring pressure to smooth out and shape the pocket by lengthwise hand manipulation of the tool in the pocket, the free ends of the said parallel members being each provided with a thin, freely rotatable disk having a knurled edge, which disks, when the tool is inserted into the pocket, are in a plane parallel to the two walls of the pocket and engage the inner edges of the pocket with a rolling contact.

3. An insertible garment pocket tool for smoothing the pocket incidental to the cleaning or laundering of the garment, said tool being of elongated V-shape, self-adjusting to pockets of different widths, and consisting of two substantially parallel, elongated, thin members united 4 at one end by a spring construction tending to spread said members apart at the opposite or free ends thereof, said two elongated members each having a handle portion between the ends thereof and in proximity to each other, to permit the tool to be grasped by the hand of the user, and said members to be squeezed together sufficiently for insertion into the pocket to engage the inner edges of the pocket with sufficient spring pressure to smooth out and shape the pocket by lengthwise hand manipulation of the tool in the pocket, the apex of the tool being a metal coil spring integral with the body portion of said elongated members, the free end of each of said elongated members being forked and receiving therein a pivoted, freely rotatable, thin disk having a noncutting edge to engage an inner edge of the pocket with a rolling action, the extent of the pressure with which the disks engage the inner edges of the pocket being variable in accordance with the extent of squeezing action of the hand of the user of the tool.

EDMUND SILVA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent;

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,104,111 Barnett Jan. 4, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 182,382 Great Britain July 6, 1922 

